... 9 Acknowledgement I would like to take this opportunity to thank the almighty God, who through Him all things are possible. I would also like to express my gratitude towards all the persons who have assisted me throughout the completion of my research. To my teacher Mrs.B.Wheatle for her guidance, patience and motivation. My classmates for their undying competition. My mother, Camille Lewis for allowing me the time to explore and investigate data. And at last but not least my aunt Venessa Ferguson for her insights. Introduction Rastafarianism is an afro-centric religious and social movement based in the Caribbean island of Jamaica. The Rastafarian symbols are important tools to the Rasta’s and...
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...Introduction “Up, you mighty race, accomplish what you will.” Marcus Garvey Rastafarianism is a religious movement born out of black slums of Jamaica which harnessed the teachings of the Jamaican born black nationalists, Marcus Garvey and conditionally uses selective Old Testament Christian writings to support its teachings and practices. Among Jamaican society, members of the Rastafarian movement were commonly perceived as social outcasts because of their anti-establishment way of life and their pride in identifying themselves as people of African ancestry. The inspiration which led to its genesis in the 1930’s was Messianic or millenarian in nature has been sustained and pervaded by a sense of African triumphalism. Although physical repatriation to Africa has not been fulfilled as Garvey or the founding Rastafarianism originally hoped, followers learned the “idea of Africa as home” can be a psychologically, culturally and spiritually empowering experience- all of which are important ingredients for creating positive ethno-racial self- conceptions of self and community. (Singh 2001) To participate in a form of active engagement towards liberation, Rastafarianism practice “reasonings”. The purpose is to heighten awareness by discussing local and worldly issues in an open communal environment and also emulating what theologian and educator Paulo Freire called conscientization. Conscientization arouse people’s consciousness and sense of self-redemption from the bottom up...
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...According to Max Weber, religion emerges to satisfy a social need. “In treating suffering as a symptom of odiousness in the eyes of gods and as a sign of secret guilt, religion has psychologically met a very general need (Weber 271). Rastafarianism emerges in the slums of Kingston, Jamaica in the 1930’s to meet the needs of the poor, unskilled black Jamaicans who needed a hope. The social situation which was emerging in the 1930’s which called for this need was as follows. Jamaica was a commonwealth of the British Empire. It had recently, around 1884, received a write in clause to their constitution which stipulated if the new government did not succeed and the economic life of Jamaica were to suffer because of it, the political constitution would be amended or abolished to meet new conditions. Black Jamaicans had a taste for power in their mouths and in 1938, this erupted in labor riots and violence. This act did nothing for their cause. It would still be 30 years until Jamaica received its independence. Blacks in Jamaica were the victims of social stratification which left them at the bottom rung of the ladder. They had menial jobs such as field worker or an attendant at the sugar plant, if they had jobs at all. The blacks were suffering as a people and as an organized group. Ethopianism had been introduced to Jamaica in 1784 by George Liele, by adding it to the name of his Baptist church, hoping to graft itself onto the African religion of Jamaican slaves. But the movement...
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...this School Based Assessment. Statement of Aims Topic: The Rastafarian main symbols and their importance It is the intention of the researcher to: 1. Find out the origin of Rastafarianism 2. To identify the main symbols of Rastafarians 3. To investigate the importance of the symbols Methodology The information for this research was gathered mainly through the review of literature and from the internet. I started my research on October 20, 2011 and was finished within a two week period. Information was gathered from different sources found on different websites and from literature as seen in the bibliography. Introduction In the following project you will learn of the origin of the Rasta way of life, which arose as a result of a period of severe depression, racism and class discrimination, during the 1930. This was the perfect chance for poor people to embrace their religion, so they did. You will also learn of the different important symbols of the Rasta’s, namely, ganja, the Star of David, the word Jah, the conquering lion and the lamb, dreadlocks and the Rasta flag. These are of grave importance, being a part of their day to day activities and living. In this project the importances are highlighted also. I hope that whosoever will read this information will obtain great knowledge and understanding of the topic. Please READ, ENJOY AND BE EDUCATED! The Origin of Rastafarianism The name Rastafari, which is derived from Ras, is the title given to Amharic...
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...(October 16, 2016; 7:51 pm) http://digjamaica.com/rastafarianism Rastafarianism began in Jamaica during the 1930s after the crowing of Ras Tafari as Negus of Ethiopia, “King of Kings”. After the coronation his title was changed to Emperor Haile Selassie I. Selassie also took the titles, "Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Elect of God and King of the Kings of Ethiopia." This coronation was regarded as the fulfillment of a prophecy by black political leader, Marcus Garvey, that “Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God”, which is based on verse 31 of Psalm 68 of the Bible. This prophecy became the foundation of the Rastafari movement. The religion takes its name from Haile Selassie's original name, Ras Tafari Makonnen. Selassie is regarded by Rastafarians as the Black Messiah or Jah Rastafari. He is the central figure of salvation who will save blacks from white suppressors and reunite them with their homeland, Africa. LEADERS OF RASTA Leonard P. Howell is said to have had the greatest impact on the development of Rastafarian ideology in Jamaica in the 1930s. Howell, who had served in the third Ashanti War between England and Ghana in the Gold Coast in 1901, preached the divinity of Haile Selassie and said that blacks would gain the superiority over their oppressors, who are referred to as ‘Babylon’. THE ROYAL VISIT In 1966, after persons who had heard of Haile Selassie’s visit to Trinidad requested that he make a stopover...
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...this School Based Assessment. Statement of Aims Topic: The Rastafarian main symbols and their importance It is the intention of the researcher to: 1. Find out the origin of Rastafarianism 2. To identify the main symbols of Rastafarians 3. To investigate the importance of the symbols Methodology The information for this research was gathered mainly through the review of literature and from the internet. I started my research on October 20, 2011 and was finished within a two week period. Information was gathered from different sources found on different websites and from literature as seen in the bibliography. Introduction In the following project you will learn of the origin of the Rasta way of life, which arose as a result of a period of severe depression, racism and class discrimination, during the 1930. This was the perfect chance for poor people to embrace their religion, so they did. You will also learn of the different important symbols of the Rasta’s, namely, ganja, the Star of David, the word Jah, the conquering lion and the lamb, dreadlocks and the Rasta flag. These are of grave importance, being a part of their day to day activities and living. In this project the importances are highlighted also. I hope that whosoever will read this information will obtain great knowledge and understanding of the topic. Please READ, ENJOY AND BE EDUCATED! The Origin of Rastafarianism The name Rastafari, which is derived from Ras, is the title given to Amharic...
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...dramatically influenced popular culture, Reggae, Rastafarianism, and social awareness. His life is a cultural blend of integration through musical expression and involvement within the human rights movement striving for peace and equality. Robert Nesta Marley, known to the world as “Bob Marley” was born in Jamaica on February 6th, 1945. At the time of his birth he resembled his fifty year old father Captain Norval Sinclair Marley. “Nesta” as his mother liked to call him, was born into an inter-racial family; his mother was African American and his father was Caucasian. His mother, Cedella Booker, also known as “Ciddy”, was an eighteen year old young woman at the time and came from moderate means that was a sharp contrast to her husband, a colonial functionary. His father was mostly absent during Bob’s upbringing as a result of his family’s disapproval of the interracial marriage. Captain Norval family ensured that he was demoted to the lowest possible ranking in the British navy, barely earning enough money to feed himself let alone a young wife and child. Ciddy sent many letters to Captain Norval but received no reply. She raised Bob in the countryside of Jamaica on her own by opening a produce shop selling the food grown on her father’s farm. Ciddy was the predominant figure during Bob Marley’s childhood. This inter-racial structure as well as the un-involvement by his father, many would say, contributed to Marley’s active roles in Rastafarianism and the human rights movements later in...
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...The novel “Catch a Fire” is a complete biography portraying the time, the life, and many events which happened in the life of Bob Marley. The novel depicts major incidents that influenced the thoughts and behavior of Bob Marley. The starting of the novel summarizes the past of Ethiopian tribe, especially with Haile Selassie, who afterwards, becomes the king of the Ethiopian region. The novel mainly states the reasons of starting of the Rastafarianism (Farley, 2006, pg. 216). It is known that Rastafarianism played a very huge role in the life of Bob Marley. Knowing and understanding the religion is important because it became the centerpiece for much of his life, including his music. The focus is to analyze the life of Bob Marley and what he went through so that he could touch the people the way he did with through his life and probably most importantly, his music. From that very point the child hood and youth of Bob Marley is investigated. Bob Marley is child of Cedella Malcom typically known as Ciddy and a white captain who was European. Bob Marley’s father married Ciddy when he came to known that she was pregnant only to give his name to his child. After the birth of Bob Marley, his father left his wife and disappeared. Ciddy with the help of her father raised Marley. Bob than flew away to Jamaica and started to record music. He also established a group with the name of BOB MARLEY and the WAILERS. Making his alignment with Coxsone Dodd and some of the other producers, Bob became...
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...Introduction There are many misconceptions people have (myself included) when the topic of Rastafarianism enters into the conversation. Most non-Rastafarians do not hold the religion in high regard, and consider it just an excuse to get high and listen to reggae music all day. Surprisingly, while growing up I witnessed more white suburban teens embracing Rastafarianism than I ever saw blacks of any age embracing it; even more confusing is the fact that Rastafarians are rumored to be anti-white. Talk about conflicting information. When you witness one thing but hear another, how do you determine the truth? Being guilty of said misconceptions myself, I set out on my quest to get to the truth. I felt that the best way to uncover the truth would be to speak to a real Rastafarian. I caught up with a gentleman by the name of Ras Kamau who agreed to answer a few questions on Rastafarian beliefs, history, as well as shed some light on a few of the myths and misconceptions that other people including myself have regarding his religion. Haile Selassie I The Rastafarian religion plants its roots in Africa, and is frequently associated with the underprivileged black population of Jamaica. The followers of Rastafari consider it to be more of a way of life, and not just a religion. Rastafarians consider themselves to be advocates of global issues and often speak out against social injustices such as inequality, oppression and poverty. The foundation of the Rastafarian religion is...
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...S.B.A on Rastafarian Symbols Name: Miguel McCarty Grade: 11o Subject: Religious Education School: Bridgeport High School Teacher: Mrs H.Wheatle Introduction This S.B.A is about Rastafarian (symbols). I am going to tell you about the Rastafarian symbols and how it affects them during worship and leisure time. Aims To examine three symbols in Rastafari. To discuss the effect the symbols have on Rastas. To examine the origin of Rastafari. Information Collection How information was collected: Greater Portmore branch library Time span: Start: Thursday, May 29, 2013 Finish: Secondary Data Where was information collected? The internet; Books Primary Data Information was collected at: At the Rastafarian village in Montego Bay The Cannabis Plant According to: The marijuana leaf is one of the most popular symbols in the Rastafarian religion. It's presence in the Jamaican culture is thought to have influenced it's inclusion into Rastafari religious practices. Some adherents believe marijuana aids their meditation as well as others aspects of the spirituality. The Colours According to: The colours associated with Rastafarianism are known as "pan-African" colours. There are either three or four colours, depending on the tradition: green, yellow (or gold), red (as in the Ethiopian flag), and sometimes...
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...Comparative Religion Reflection Essay Reflection Essay My Religion and Malloy’s Eight Elements I was born and raised in the Lutheran Church with a strong belief system. As of recent years, I have opted to not attend church services, but still feel very strong about the beliefs that I was raised with. There are a few beliefs that I was raised with that I don’t buy into, such as the belief that god created earth and all things on it in 6 days. There is far too much scientific evidence to suggest that evolution has and is constantly taking place. Despite this, I do thing that our belief system plays a very important part in my life. For me, community does not play as big of a role in my belief system. I tend to believe that one does not necessarily need to attend church to worship god. I do that every day in my daily life. I am so thankful for my friends, family, life and everything in it. This has been my dad’s feeling for a very long time and I tend to follow him. We do have several central myths that we believe in. All of these myths are told in the bible and are stories that we learn from the time we are young children. I remember going to bible camp when I was in elementary and junior high school. We would go for a week and always on the last night of camp, the counselors put on what was called the Passion Play. The play was the story of the last few days of Jesus’ life, his crucifixion, and how he rose from the dead. I have such vivid memories of...
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...Religious Education S.B.A Symbols in Rastafari Name: Ronaldo Atkinson Teacher: Ms.Loney McDonald Grade: 11 School: St.Catherine High Table of Content Acknowledgement…………………..1 Introduction………………………….2 Aim/Objectives…………………….....3 Colours……………………………….4 Lion…………………………………...5 Dreadlocks……………………………...6 Diet……………………………………7 Ganja………………………………….8 Summary of Findings………………….9 Analysis of Interpretation………………10 Questionnaire……………………………11 Bibliography…………………………….12 Aims/Objectives 1. To highlight the importance of each symbol used 2. To state occasion on each symbol used 3. To describe the symbols in rastafari 4. To state the impact of each of the symbols used Acknowledgement I would like to thank all my friends and family for their small input on helping me in my School Based Assessment. I also appreciate the help of the author’s in the library at St.Catherine High School in guiding me in my research. Introduction In the following S.B.A, it will be stating the importance of each symbol Colors The colors associated with the Rastafarian religion are red, green, gold, and black which have a multitude of meanings. The Ethiopian flag is red, gold and green, so the use of these colors represents the people’s allegiance to Africa and a return to their Ethiopian homeland. Red is representative of the blood spilt in the name of freedom, particularly of slaves brought over during the colonial period. Green symbolizes Jamaica and its vegetation...
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...Religious Education S.B.A Symbols in Rastafari Name: Ronaldo Atkinson Teacher: Ms.Loney McDonald Grade: 11 School: St.Catherine High Table of Content Acknowledgement…………………..1 Introduction………………………….2 Aim/Objectives…………………….....3 Colours……………………………….4 Lion…………………………………...5 Dreadlocks……………………………...6 Food……………………………………7 Summary of Findings………………….8 Analysis of Interpretation………………9 Questionnaire……………………………10 Bibliography…………………………….11 Aims/Objectives 1. To highlight the importance of each symbol used 2. To state what are the different symbols 3. To describe the symbols in rastafari 4. To state the impact of each of the symbols used Acknowledgement I would like to thank all my friends and family for their small input on helping me in my School Based Assessment. I also appreciate the help of the librarians in the library at St. Catherine High School in guiding me in my research. I would also like to thank my teacher in guiding me what to put in my S.B.A. Introduction In the following S.B.A, it will be stating the importance of each symbol and also describing each symbol. The Rastafarian symbols are important tools to the Rasta’s and their religion and a massive amount of Rasta’s see it as a way of life rather than a religion. Colors The colors associated with the Rastafarian religion are red, green, gold, and black which have a multitude of meanings. The Ethiopian flag is red, gold and green, so the use of these colors represents...
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...Although he was from the south rather than the Cibao, he did come from a rural area and from a lower-class family, so he decided that the rural style of perico ripiao should be the Dominican national symbol. He ordered numerous merengues to be composed in his honor. With titles like "Literacy", "Trujillo is great and immortal", and "Trujillo the great architect", these songs describe his virtues and extol his contributions to the country. Trujillo's interest in and encourangement of merengue created a place for the music on the radio and in respectable ballrooms. Musicians like Luis Alberti began to play with "big band" or orquesta instrumentation, replacing the accordion with a horn section and initiating a split between this new, mostly urban style and mostly rural perico...
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...Rastafari This page intentionally left blank Rastafari From Outcasts to Culture Bearers Ennis Barrington Edmonds 2003 198 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016 Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide in Oxford New York Auckland Bangkok Buenos Aires Cape Town Chennai Dar es Salaam Delhi Hong Kong Istanbul Karachi Kolkata Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Mumbai Nairobi São Paulo Shanghai Taipei Tokyo Toronto Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Press in the UK and in certain other countries Copyright © 2003 by Ennis Barrington Edmonds The moral rights of the authors have been asserted Database right Oxford University Press (maker) All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reprographics rights organization. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the address above You must not circulate this book in any other binding or cover and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Edmonds...
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